


Something New

by SkyTheLoner



Series: Rare Pairings [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack Treated Seriously, Did I Mention It's Slow to Update?, Drabbles, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Falling In Love, First Crush, First Kiss, Fluff, Homeworld (Steven Universe), Light Angst, Multi, Older Connie Maheswaran, Older steven universe, One Shot Collection, Other, Rare Pairings, Romance, Slow To Update, Sorry Not Sorry, What is this?, Why?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2018-12-17 09:37:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 3,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11848860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyTheLoner/pseuds/SkyTheLoner
Summary: A collection of one-shots about different pairings.





	1. Kisses [Holly Blue Agate/Emerald]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emerald has to work with a particular agate. She then has her first kiss.

Holly Blue Agate was standing with her back against the white walls of Emerald's office, her blue eyes glittering in the light. Her arms were crossed, though Emerald knew her well enough to know that the agate wasn't mad. At her anyway, she thought with a grimace, her thoughts drifting to the rogue Rose Quartz and the off-color crew. That pink one, named Lars, was the bane of her security system, able to pass through undetected. It - Lars - must be gemless then, she concluded. The agate beside her was assigned to capture the human pet Rose Quartz brought.

Only, the two of them knew each other from a long time ago.

"Her human pet is probably already dead," the agate muttered, shaking her head. She combed her hair with fingers carefully, gazing over at the information collected about the human before.

"Well,  _she_  did have healing abilities," Emerald reminded her possible friend. "So there's that."

Holly Blue looked thoughtful, glancing over the files. It was rare that two gems from different Diamonds work together, but this was definitely important. Holly Blue's Diamond knew of the human's importance to the rebel leader. For the Paragon's sake, _she even mentioned it in her little guilty plea_.

"Emerald?"

Sighing, she asked, "What?" They had a mission, an assignment.

Holly Blue blushed a dark navy color, and she shook her head.

"I need to catch those defective pebbles, and you need to catch Rose's human pet." Emerald didn't bother hiding her rage for the off-color gems. She adjusted her fluffy suit collar, her one eye staring at the agate, making her nervous. Or was it something else? The agate's electric blue gaze watched her carefully, her every move recorded. Emerald stood straighter. "Those off-colors!" she snapped, her gem glittering.

"Well, I can relate," the agate said with a sigh. "What in the star's name do you think I deal with at the Zoo?" She paused, seeming embarrassed. "I mean, my glittering Diamond needed someone as perfect as me to deal with them."

Emerald stared at her.

Holly Blue continued, "With me working with Pink Diamond's off-color gems, it makes sense I was assigned to this job, right?"

"Right!" she said, clapping her hands. She walked towards her desk, picking up a hologram screen and looked at the report one of the guards sent her. "Oh, a defective sapphire..."

"A sapphire?" Holly Blue echoed, glancing over at the screen, sounding mildly surprised. It was odd how a defective sapphire could have escaped. Though it explained how they got so close. Her companion looked thoughtful. "Was the sapphire blue? With a gem on the palm of its hand?"

What? Emerald shook her head, confused. Did she know of another off-color sapphire? "No, why?"

Holly Blue blushed slightly, staring at the wall, examining the patterns carefully. "I meet one like that. I... failed to realize until it fused with a ruby - on purpose."

Emerald winced. "Must have looked gross. The fusion, I mean."

"By the stars! It had  _three_  eyes!"

"Vile," she commented, walking towards the door, remembering the ruby and pearl fusion she saw for a second. It had  _four_  eyes and extra arms. The six gem fusion...

"Hey!"

Emerald turned around, puzzled to find the agate following her nervously. The agate's eyes stared straight at her locking onto her like she was prey. Emerald didn't look away, watching her. Emerald recognized the look in the gem's eyes, though she never had said anything about it. And, sure she slightly enjoyed working with the agate, even if she needed to be reminded of her place every once and awhile.

Holly Blue joined her beside the door. "Aren't we supposed to be working together?" Before she could reply, she walked out the door, leaving Emerald to growl in annoyance and follow her. That damned quartz!

But she could deal with it.

Emerald quickly followed Holly Blue, her cape trailing behind her, and she glanced down at her uniform, brushing off a speck of soil carefully. Her boots made her steps echo as she stalked down the multicolored hallways.

Diamonds and parallelograms were carved carefully into the grey tinted roof. Blue rectangles were alined on the walls, though if she looked closely, she could see that the blue paint covered the pink rectangles almost perfectly. Almost. She thought about Holly Blue.

Speak of the devil - Emerald didn't fully understand that human phrase - she thought as the agate slowed down enough to walk side by side her. She scowled.

"Do you know about love?"

"What would an agate know about love?" she asked, rolling her eye.

"I know a bit about... you," Holly Blue replied, flexing her fingers slowly.

"Pardon?"

"Maybe I like you." Holly Blue's gem began to glow a pale blue light.

"You're not even one of my Diamond's gems," Emerald sneered, more aware of the quartz's eyes and their blue color. "You're an  _agate_!"

Holly Blue replied, "Maybe so, but I know better than to pursuit a relationship with someone of a higher rank then me." She laughed mirthlessly, covering her mouth with her hand. "Unlike a particular duo of a pearl and a quartz."

Emerald rolled her eye, turning to face Holly Blue as they walked silently, arriving at a large white door.

"Can you... kiss me? Just once? I'll never ask again, but I'm curious to know what it's like."

"I'm not even nice to you."

"You're nice-er than most emeralds."

"Never ask again, and I'll keep silent about this."

"Do you like me? Do you love me?"

"Maybe."

"Now..."

Inhaling a breath, Emerald muttered, "Fine. Let's..." She looked at the agate, watching her carefully with her one eye, and she leaned towards her slowly, waiting. When the gem nodded to inform her she was ready, Emerald put one of her gloved hands on the back of Holly Blue's head. She felt the smooth gemstone on the back of her head heat up slightly. She leaned forward, her heart racing just a bit, but, Emerald told herself, that was just the fear of someone finding out.

It was over quickly, a brush of their lips, but it counted. Emerald felt like she had been hit with electricity, and she shivered. To Emerald, the kiss lasted a long time as their lips had met. Her face burned, remembering that moment, that second.

"W-we have a mission to complete," she choked out, but her eye was watching the agate more carefully. She tried to scowl but failed. She didn't have time to care about a weird, useless, dumb, bossy, annoying agate. But, she did when it was Holly Blue. She probably loved her.

Holly Blue nodded, looking stunned. Emerald couldn't really hate her.

Yeah, Emerald was probably falling in love. Just a bit though.

She sighed, shaking her head.

Just a bit.


	2. Thoughts of You [Holly Blue Agate/Emerald]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emerald thinks about an agate she knows, and she wonders what their relationship is.
> 
> [Takes place shortly after "Kisses".]

Emerald was thinking of that day.

It lasted a short sweet second, but the thought of their lips brushing against each other in something called a kiss was surprising. She had grown fond of the agate, more used to her being around. The agate wasn't made for thinking, but she was still a type of quartz - one of Blue Diamond's favorites, if she was allowed to watch over Pink Diamond's Zoo. The agate had sent a message to the Zoo to watch out for Rose Quartz.

There was a half-laughing reply from an off-color amethyst, but Holly Blue ignored it.

Emerald didn't care. She was a captain.

"-it dares to play pretend, acting like it knows anything!" she had ranted one day to the agate, who rolled her eyes. "Hey, I'm a higher rank then you!"

"Not here, you're not. Under  _my_  Diamond's orders, we're equals," Holly Blue explained smugly.

"Right," she muttered, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder, casually. Her possible friend ignored it, though she slightly smiled. Emerald felt a bit happier.

Right now she was looking over some files, pacing around the streets. Holly Blue watched her, her hands barely touching Emerald's. She sighed.

Their little relationship was a weird thing. It certainly was not friendship, but could it be called love? Probably not. They kissed, they could never say they were just friends...

But if they were just both curious fools when they kissed...

Emerald pressed her gloved hands against her mane of green hair - it looked akin to her Diamond's hair - her head swirling with confusion over the blue gem. She could never let Holly Blue become more important than catching those defects, but could she become equal? Maybe in time, this was more important at the moment, her Diamond meant more to her than even that agate.

She continued to pace around, her eye reading each word of the file carefully. So, their location had been found out? Good! But... that would bring their mission closer to ending.

"Find something interesting?" Holly Blue questioned, moving closer to Emerald, her eyes watching her carefully.

"Oh, umm..." Emerald muttered. "Yes! Let's just... go find a ship." Holly Blue nodded, walking away to find the nearest peridot. She glanced back at her, her haunting blue eyes-

What? No! She sighed.

Emerald was confused.


	3. Diamond Dust [Connie/Blue Diamond]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie has feelings for someone, and everything is wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited it.

The rainbow device set in the corner of Steven's house had began to him and let out high pitched bleeps in response to the incoming signal. The signal was clearly sent from the machine that orbited in the Earth's atmosphere, created to detect anything entering the planet. Pieces of metal, meteors, visiting Homeworld ships, things like that. A fleeting glance at the device confirmed it was the latter, and she quickly got up from the seat to check who it was. The machine's blue tinted screen displayed:

**Identifying** **incoming ship...**

Connie stared at it, waiting her thoughts drifting to the recent events. She wasn't really sure how, but Steven - being the magic, amazing person he was - had managed to create a truce with Homeworld. A deal of sorts, though he didn't explain the details with her. Even now her knowledge of Homeworld and the Diamonds was limited, though the other Crystal Gems gave her bits of information from time to time when she needed context when discussing things.

The house was empty except for her.

 **"Ship Identification Code received. AX34C6,"**  the device suddenly spoke, causing her to jump slightly. Connie frowned. That was Blue Diamond's ship. Well, she expected that.

One of the conditions of the treaty was that Blue Diamond could freely travel to Earth - without interference from the Crystal Gems - to grieve. Of course, one of them would have to met her on arrival to question why she was visiting. The diamond also visited Earth to examine the ruins of the structures abandoned during the rebellion.

With a sigh, she reached to press a button on the screen to inform the others. The machine beeped and then went silent, and she gently reached for the blue whistle around her neck. The warp whistle, gifted to her by Garnet, felt cold in her hand.

She couldn't believe she was already 19.

She walked towards the warp pad, her heart racing with fear and horror and disgust over her feelings.

She heard the familiar sound of the warp pad activating and her vision was swamped with light blue and white as she floated. She brush a hand the curtain of pale colors, feeling an icy cold as her fingers slipped out of the stream. She quickly pulled her hand back in.

When she finally landed, she found herself on a very familiar mountainside, overlooking a vast field dotted with pink flowers. Far below her lay the place where Pink Diamond was shattered. Above her was a massive spaceship in the shape of an arm.

Blue Diamond was here.

 She knew what she had done...

...but Connie still somehow loved her.

* * *

 

One of the first things that crossed her mind when she first saw her was that her voice was sad and beautiful. Connie shivered in fear as the diamond's sharp gaze examined her like she was an insect. And to a gem like her, she was.

Her breathing was quick and short.

She was barely 18. She couldn't die now.

"So," she said, and Connie was frozen again by the sound of her voice. Horrific and haunting. "This- " She waved a hand absentmindedly toward her, her attention on Steven. He glanced at her nervously."-is her?" she finished softly, the words causing Connie to shiver in horror and at the weird fluttering feeling in her stomach. 

"Yes," Steven confirmed, seemingly trying to keep the fear from his voice. The truce he had created was frail even now after about three years. At least the Diamonds didn't still think that Steven was his mother.

Both Steven and Connie were standing on a large platform floating high above the ground. The diamond sat in an ocean blue throne with a hand on her chin. Blue Diamond was a queen; she was in control.

"This is the human you fused with?" Blue Diamond sounded amused. 

(Now, one year later, Connie noted that the diamond's condescending attitude had changed a bit in the last year.)

Steven nodded. Her friend nervously messed with a loose thread on his shirt, a habit he started around the beginning of the truce.

The diamond tilted her head slightly, strands of her nearly white hair falling over her face, and Connie waited. Her bare feet felt cold under the metallic floors. The diamond didn't appear hostile towards her - only Steven. After all, why would a diamond care enough about one human to bother to hate them?

"Your name?" she questioned, and it took Connie a few seconds to realize that she spoke to her.

She bowed and gave her a hesitant salute - though not the one gemkind used, it was a human one. The diamond gave a slight nod to acknowledge it.

"It's Connie, ma'am," she replied. The diamond seemed a bit confused at the last part, but simply nodded. She appeared thoughtfully for a moment.

She merely commented, "That's an odd name."

* * *

 

It took her a while to realize she was only in love with her eyes and hair and voice. 

But her actions? 

Connie felt ill.


	4. Are you Okay? [Fluorite/Carnelian]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carnelian is confused.

"Okay," Carnelian began slowly, looking up at the huge fusion in front of her, towering overhead. She dragged her fingers through her mane of dark hair, suddenly nervous. "So, your name is Fluorite?" When the small hybrid friend of 8XM wandered into the Zoo again, she thought she heard that name. 

The small group consisted of the human-hybrid, another human, a pink human and a bunch of other off-color gems.

Nodding slowly, Fluorite replied, " _Yes_."

Carnelian nodded, asking, "Do you want to add anymore gems? Are all your gems in love?"

She took a long moment to think, her four eyes narrowed thoughtful. Smiling a bit, she said, " _Perhaps_." She paused. " _Do you know anyone who likes me_?" The gem was calm and a bit amused.

She froze, her eyes wide. Did she just seriously ask her if she knew anyone who liked her. What?! "What about me!" she blurted out, nearly biting off her own tongue trying to stop herself.

There was silence.

"I... think I kinda like you."

" _That's_... _Fine_."

What? She blinked in shock. "You're... totally okay with that?"

" _Yes,_ " the giant fusion answered slowly, nodding. " _As for... your second question... some are and some aren't._ "

"So..." Carnelian tilted her head, thinking. "Like, gems A and B are in love, and gems C and D are in love and gems E and F have crushes on A and D and..." Carnelian paused. "And they're okay with that and everyone else is just friends?"

" _Something like that._ "

And you're alright with me liking you?"

The fusion nodded.

"Can... I kiss you? Not like... mouth to mouth or anything," she added.

Fluorite nodded slowly.

Jumping up, Carnelian quickly pressed her lips on the fusion's forehead. Landing, she grinned widely. "I love you."


	5. Embers [Yellow Diamond/Connie]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie tries to prove something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick drabble.

"Oh, right, the human, Connie."

Yellow Diamond's voice was powerful and made it difficult to breathe, though such feeling only started to bloom when Connie reached age twenty three. She knew what romantic attraction was; she developed such feelings for Steven years ago. Lost in thought, she flinched when she heard the diamond speak again:

"Pearl, get the nutrition bars and water."

Connie looked over to see the pearl bow low and walk away. As the tall, yellow doors closed with a soft sound, a beeping noise rang in her ears.

There was a message.

Rolling her eyes, Yellow Diamond dismissed it with a press of a button.

"So, human Connie," she began, not looking at her. "I gave you eight years to show me why I should care about your kind." Connie has heard these words many times before - about every week.

She bowed politely to the towering leader, not know if she noticed. She asked, Ma'am, might I ask you a question?"

"Go on."

"Am I doing well?" Seven of those years have already passed.

"Well..." Yellow Diamond glanced down at her. Laughing just a bit, so briefly Connie thought she imagined it, she muttered, "You know to be quiet, and you can shut the amethysts and jaspers up with your silly sword..."

She shivered slightly, remembering. While she had only destroyed the gems' physical forms and in self defense, the guards were beginning to fear her. She had been trying to become friends with them lately.

"You've done better than expected. Probably because I had such low expectations." The diamond glanced down her with a sharp, captivating yellow gaze.

There was silence.

"So maybe you've showed me, Connie, why they're worth protecting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never mind, it was still a bit long.


	6. Ice [Lapis Lazuli/Kiki]

Lapis wasn't sure when these feelings started to cause her to feel like she had butterflies fluttering in her stomach. What she did know was that the dark skinned human that caused those feelings was sitting outside on the beach. At this very moment, she realized, her head spinning.

The human was named Kiki. She liked the way her name sounded.

Lapis slowly walked towards the human, her face burning up despite the ice on the ground and the frost in the air.

"Oh, hey!" Lapis froze.

"You're one of Steven's friends, right?"

She struggled to reply for a moment. "Y-yeah."

Kiki smiled. "It's a cold day today; I'm going to head inside and get me a nice warm pizza. Do you want some?"

Lapis doesn't really like eating but... Whatever.

"Sure," she replied, flapping her watery wings and heading towards to buildings.

"I'll show you the way." Lapis nodded nervously.

"Thanks." 


	7. Visiting [Blue Diamond/White Diamond]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue Diamond loves her, even though she rarely visits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be fluff, but it's angst instead.
> 
> Also, it's short.

"Blue Diamond," the small pearl greeted her with a brief bow to show her respect, "My Diamond wishes to see you."

Blue Diamond's eyes light up with surprise and a warm feeling of happiness, though its hidden under her dark hood. She doesn't, however, bother to conceal the small smile on her face. Nodding, she replied, "Thank you, pearl. I will go see her now." She turned around to open the door, hearing the other gem follow her, heading back to her diamond. Blue Diamond's own pearl followed them as well, opening the door to the room where the other diamond stood in.

"White," she greeted the other diamond, her voice soft. "You visited."

White Diamond - the gem she fell in love with - nodded, walking over to her. Raising one of her tattoo-covered arms to place a hand on her shoulder, she whispered, "Well, yes, I had to take a break from... my work- to visit my Blue." And Blue Diamond knew the reason for the tattoos: to hide the wounds she got in her attempts to bring her back.

Sighing, Blue Diamond muttered, "I missed you."

"I know, Blue." Her lover leaned forward to kiss her forehead gently.

"I miss her."

White Diamond didn't say anything, too busy attempting to hold back tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would explain the "tattoos" headcanon more, but I'm too lazy at the moment.
> 
> Though, I imagine the tattoos as a faded rainbow of colors in geometric patterns.


	8. a random thing [Yellow Diamond's Pearl/Smoky Quartz]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.
> 
> Steven is an adult in this one-shot, don't worry.
> 
> So... I guess this just going to be drabbles for a while...

Yellow Diamond's Pearl was standing in front of the temple, still a bit stunned by her sudden freedom from Her Diamond - Yellow Diamond. And that was a month ago.

And more surprisingly, she was now in a romantic relationship with the strangest creature she had even seen:

Smoky Quartz. A fusion between the half human hybrid and an undercooked amethyst from Earth's Prime Kindergarten. An oddity, yes, but Pearl had fallen in love with them anyway. They were a happy little quartz, making jokes and preforming tricks with their yo-yo.

Pearl didn't know what think Steven - the half human and half gem hybrid - and the amethyst, but Smoky Quartz was different. Even if their personality could become annoying at times.

Sighing, she knocked on the door.


	9. Graphite Powder [Pink Diamond/Greg Universe]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A weird AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Greg/Pink Diamond is canon now.**
> 
>  
> 
> Greg has been shipped with all four of the Diamonds... I'm not sure why.
> 
> Well, anyway, I'll probably end up shipping (adult)Connie/All of the Diamonds... I'm halfway there.
> 
> The Pink Diamnd in this one-shot is a retrieved version of the original, brought back with "harvesting" her remains to grow a new Pink Diamond. This Pink Diamond has some of the others memories but is overcooked and has bits of her gem covered in graphite.

**"Who... are you?"** the gem asked him, staring down at him with confused pink eyes, clenching the air, as if trying to get used to having a body. Her body was easily as big as Blue Diamond's and a large glittering gemstone was in her stomach. Greg sighed.

"I'm Greg," he reminded her gently. This happened every time she retreated to her gem to regenerate: she lost bits of her memories. Those memories came back after a while though. "And you're Pink Diamond."

 **"Diamonds aren't covered in graphite,"** she muttered, bitterly laughing.  **"They would be disgusted by such a defect."**

"But I'm not."

 **"No, you're not,"** she agreed, sighing. Pink Diamond placed a hand on the floor of the large room, watching as he stepped on to it. Holding him gently, she stared at him. Greg stared back.  **"Humans are strange, _Greg_."**

He laughed a bit at that. "Yeah, we are."

**"Why else would you love me."**

It wasn't a question, but he still replied, "Because you're perfect."

Pink Diamond rolled her eyes.  **"Oh, right. I forgot."** And there was a small smile on her face.


	10. what [Centipeetle/Hessonite]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a sinful sin.
> 
> ...
> 
> just kidding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a plan for this one, but I gave up.  
> have fun reading this pre-relationship drabble thing.

Hessonite looked at the gem, avoiding her gaze. "Who  _are_ you again?" she asked with a snort of amusement, because she definitely did not forget this gem. Hessonite was nervous around this gem, for some reason.

The partially corrupted gem looked at her, seemingly confused that she had forgotten her. Hessonite was hard to forget. The gem tilted her head to the side, nervously combing her white hair with a hand. The suit she wore made it clear the gem was a pilot. Not anymore.

The green and black gem, named Centipeetle, seemed mildly offended, but she still saluted to her, showing her the piece of white  _something_ she held in her hands. Whatever it was, it was made of an organic material and appeared flimsy, like it could be easily torn with a single rip. The thought made her tempted to try, but she decided against it.

She noticed scribbles on the piece of  _whatever._ Writing.

**Do you want to "hang out"?**

Hessonite blinked. What?

The gem stared at her with begging eyes. Those eyes reminded her of the hybrid, Steven, but so different. She sighed. She couldn't say no.

"Fine. Let's 'hang out'," Hessonite finally replied.

Centipeetle smiled.


	11. Flirting? [Skinny/Lars]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lars takes a visit to the Zoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they flirt
> 
> or something...
> 
> (lol, I can't write romance.)

"Hey, human friend of Steven," the scrawny gem greeted him as he exited the room.

Lars rolled his eyes, giving the gem a smirk. "Nice to meet you, random gem." Skinny chuckled at this.

He walked right up to the tall gem, standing on his tiptoes to meet her gaze. The jasper meet his confident gaze with her amber eyes, placing a hand on her hip. With a grin, she said, "Now, what's this?" When he didn't reply, she continued, "A human wandering the Zoo? Alone?"

"Yeah," Lars finally replied.

"Do you know what we do the escaping humans?"

He shook his head.

"Then I'll show you!" Skinny exclaimed, suddenly grabbing him in her arms, hugging him tightly. The gem pressed a soft kiss on his forehead. "We cuddle 'em," she mumbled, her face buried in his light pink hair. "Do you want to run away now?"

Lars laughed. "Why would I try to escape from this?"


End file.
